In Vain For You
by LadyJuly
Summary: Everyone is dying from a sickness. But what is it and why? Ryoko is next and she refuses to die without answers or in vain. Protecting Tenchi is all she wishes to do. However, death may claim her before she can fulfill her own wish.


Author's Note:

Sadly, I don't own Tenchi or any of it's characters.

Now, unlike my other stories, this one is short and right to the point. A few chapters should give you a good plot and a few cliff hangers. Please enjoy!!!

Chapter 1

Ayeka splashed the cool lake water over her face several times in a row before resting on her hands and knees. She inhaled the warm air around her in big mouth full as she tried to slow her hammering heart. She willed the sickness that sat in her stomach away so that she wouldn't be sick again. After all, she didn't have anything left and her stomach was bare.

"Get up Ayeka…get back to the house…" she whispered to herself in a tiny voice.

She peered up at the sky to see that it was only an hour before it would be dark. If she wasn't so sick, she could make it to the house in no time. But as she peered towards the direction that would led her back into the safe, warm home that belonged to Tenchi, it seemed like miles away.

Going for a walk while being so sick was something that Sasami had warned Ayeka about. Now she wished she listened to her younger sister, but she always was very stubborn.

"Sister please!" Sasami had pleaded as Ayeka wrapped a blanket around her shoulder - even though the temperatures outside was in the 90s. "Please, you are in no condition to be walking around when you are so sick. Lay down and let me fix you some herbal tea!"

"Sasami, if I wish to be Tenchi's wife someday, laying around is not something I can do." Ayeka had replied in a soft, whispery voice. "I will beat this sickness and getting out for fresh air will do me so good."

"No!"

When Sasami rushed up to Ayeka and wrapped her tiny arms around her tightly, Ayeka sighed and ran a hand down her sister's soft, blue hair.

"What's wrong with you Ayeka?!" she sobbed. "If only - if only Washu hadn't got sick - If only she was still here - she was so close to finding out a cure! And now…now-!"

Ayeka felt tears fill her own eyes as she remembered the day Washu died as if it were yesterday.

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It was true.

Washu had died of the same sickness that plagued Ayeka now. But there was no name for it, no way of knowing how it was spreading. The only warning was the red, blood like spots that appeared all over the stomach and legs. Next came the sickness, dizziness, and finally - vomiting blood.

Months before the sickness was known, Tenchi's Grandfather, Yosho, and Father, Nobuyuki left their home for a vacation away from the shine. Mihoshi and Kiyone returned to their jobs up in space; leaving the house with only the two princess; the space pirate Ryoko, and the mad scientist, Washu. Things should have been a lot quieter, calmer, and peaceful.

When Washu became sick, it raised an alarm when she was suddenly too weak to work in her Lab. She had started work on her diagonals as soon as she learned she was not sick with a simple flu or cold. But the morning her body stopped fighting the battle was the morning things changed. It wasn't even a day before Ayeka found herself sick as well. In order to keep anyone else from getting the sickness, Tenchi ordered for his Father and Grandfather to not return.

_It only took 5 days before Washu died…only 5 and so far, I have been sick for 3 days. Do I not have long? _This though plagued Ayeka's head a she pushed herself up to stand.

"Don't you think it's odd?"

A voice from the tree above Ayeka came floating down. She didn't have to look up to know it was Ryoko, and for once, she was glad she was there.

Trying to look as graceful as possible, Ayeka lowered herself back to the ground so that her pink robe spared out around her on the grass.

"What is odd?" she asked while peering down at her lap. She felt sick again, but pushed the filling away once more.

A moment later, Ryoko suddenly leapt out the trees above with the skills of a cat and landed in front of Ayeka with hands on her hips.

"Its odd that not even Washu could save herself! It's odd how she suddenly got sick for no damn reason!"

"Ryoko, we have been though this." Ayeka sighed. "This will pass. It may be a bug or something in the air…maybe even the food. There is no such thing as getting sick for no reason. There is always a reason.

"Believe that crap if you want to." Ryoko spat angrily. "I've seen this sickness before…somewhere…a long time ago. But it's not something in the food either. But dammit - I can't even remember anything else about it."

Ayeka looked dully down at the ground.

_I hope your right…_

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…Three days later, Ayeka's heart stopped beating.

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Tenchi knocked on the wooden door for what seemed like the 8th time that day.

"Ryoko…Ryoko, open the door."

He lend his weight on the door while wiping a tear that escaped his eyes unexpectedly. He couldn't let anyone see him cry and he couldn't let Ryoko know how much he loved Ayeka…and it was definitely more then her. He had to be strong - the man of the house - and be there for Ryoko and Sasami. How he wished it was him who had gotten sick and it couldn't be spread to others. He blamed himself for the two deaths in his home when he didn't even know why they had happened. When he was alone, even if walking down a hallway, he too felt the heavy pain of losing two important people in his life. He cried, sobbed, even swore. His inside burned with sorrow.

But he knew is Father and Grandfather would never approval of turning his back to women so that he could cry. He had to be the man and take care of them.

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Ryoko tuned Tenchi's knocking on the door out as she looked down closely at her own stomach. The red, blood mark looked like ugly spots on her skin and it was too tender to touch them. A cold smile crossed her lips.

Why hadn't she been the first one to get sick?

If she had, she would have remembered sooner what sickness this was, since now, after looking at it on her own skin, she remembered where she had heard and seen the sickness.

_And this…is no sickness…we are being poisoned…Washu and Ayeka were…murdered._


End file.
